Touted Cal basketball transfer considering SDSU

San Diego State’s basketball team already has two unrelated players named Franklin on its roster, freshmen LaBradford and Jamaal Franklin, and now heralded freshman guard Gary Franklin Jr. is considering the Aztecs as a possible transfer destination.

Cal announced earlier this week that Franklin Jr. has left the program, and Gary Franklin Sr. confirmed SDSU is among the schools his son has received a release to speak with. At least six other schools are said to be in the running: UNLV, New Mexico, Texas A&M, Georgetown, UTEP and San Jose State.

Of the seven, the No. 6 Aztecs are currently the highest ranked (Georgetown is No. 13 and A&M is No. 16) and the only one in Southern California. Franklin Jr. played for Orange County’s Mater Dei High and lists Santa Ana as his hometown.

Regardless of where he ends up, that a player of Franklin Jr.’s stature almost automatically considers SDSU likely is the residue of a No. 6 ranking and the elevated profile that comes with it. The Aztecs probably won’t see a recruiting bump among high school prospects until the 2012 class, since most of 2011 senior’s signed letters of intent during in November, but they could be a major player in the transfer market immediately.

“We have never been hesitant to knock on anybody’s door,” Coach Steve Fisher said of his recruiting philosophy. “Kawhi Leonard is a perfect example of that. But this (season) should help us. Players might say, ‘Let me take a look at them.’”

Because he left at the semester break, Franklin Jr. would be eligible to play next season after the fall semester concludes. That also means he must make a decision soon, since he would have to be enrolled at his new school for the spring semester, which at SDSU starts Jan. 19.

The 6-foot-2, 195-pound Franklin was considered one of the best shooters on the West Coast and listed by several national recruiting services as Top 100 player.

The decision to leave Cal was certainly not over playing time. He started 11 of 13 games for the Bears at shooting guard and was averaging 8.2 points in 25 minutes, taking more shots and more three-pointers than anyone else on the team. He came off the bench in his final two Cal games, scoring 15 points in Cal’s loss at Stanford on Sunday.

Two days later, he told the Cal coaches he intended to transfer.

“He has dreams to play in the NBA and doesn’t feel like he’ll be able to do it here,” Cal coach Mike Montgomery told the Bay Area News Group. “He wasn’t upset about anything. He feels like he needs to be a point (guard) at the next level.”

NCAA rules preclude Fisher and his staff from commenting on prospective recruits. But Montezuma Mesa would seem like a good fit given Fisher’s stellar track record with transfers and the flexible, versatile playing style he prefers.

Fisher is not a “system” coach who molds players into pre-defined roles, instead determining his team’s approach each season based on his roster. He also has been successful developing so-called combo guards – point guards with a scoring mentality. D.J. Gay came to SDSU as an off-guard and has blossomed into one of the finest points on the West Coast.